Storybook ending: Contador goes out on top, wins final summit finish of his career

by Neal Rogers

September 10, 2017

Photography by Cor Vos

In the end, it was almost as if it was scripted.

In his final Grand Tour, on the final summit finish, at the end of a season that had seen eight second-place finishes but no victories, Spaniard Alberto Contador crossed the finish line victorious, and alone, atop the notorious Alto de l’Angliru at the Vuelta a España.

It was the final opportunity for the most popular rider in Spain to put his arms in the air at the most important race in front of his compatriots and most passionate, dedicated fans.

“There couldn’t be a better finale than this, winning in the Angliru to put an end to my career as a professional rider,” Contador said. “This morning, I had it clear that it would be my day and that I had to say farewell in this fashion.”

A multiple-time winner of all three Grand Tours, Contador (Trek-Segafredo) had come to this Vuelta to fight for the overall, but was struck down by a stomach bug on Stage 3 into Andorra, losing 2:33 to his GC rivals. That same day, Chris Froome (Team Sky) took the red leader’s jersey, which he has defended for 17 stages and will wear into Madrid on Sunday.

With a GC victory unlikely, Contador balanced his efforts between fighting for a stage win and clawing his way back up the general classification. In the end, he succeeded on both fronts.

Contador spent the final week attacking in the mountains, finishing a close second atop Los Machucos on Stage 17, and launching a surprise move in the final 15km on Stage 19 into Gijon, only to be caught with 2km to go. Many questioned that effort, just one day before the brutally steep slopes of l’Angliru. But on Saturday Contador showed that he had enough left in the tank to go out on top.

On the descent of the Alto del Cordal, Contador attacked from the GC group with 13km remaining, rode through riders from the day’s breakaway — and took some help from teammate Jarlinson Pantano, as well as young Spanish riders Marc Soler (Movistar) and Enric Mas (Quick-Step Floors) — and with 5.5km to go, soloed to the finish to the delight of enthusiastic roadside spectators cheering him along the way.

In the closing kilometers, Froome and teammate Wout Poels launched a bid at the stage win, and though they were closing, they could not finish the job, finishing 17 seconds behind.

“Angliru definitely doesn’t disappoint,” Froome said. “It’s such a brutal climb. We did everything to catch Contador in the final but he was just too strong for us. It’s an amazing way for him to finish his career with such a big victory like that, so congratulations to him.”

Contador won’t stand on the podium in Madrid; he moved up to fourth overall, 20 seconds behind Russian Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha). And that’s only fitting — in his 18 Grand Tours, he won nine, had two stripped away for a doping offense, and finished in the top 10 on five occasions.

Most impressively, between July 2007 and May 2011 he won six consecutive Grand Tours that he started, though that figure would be redrawn to four consecutive Grand Tour wins after his positive test for Clenbuterol and subsequent suspension. (Though his results from July 2010 through February 2012 were voided, Contador has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and insists he has never cheated.)

Still, the 34-year-old from Pinto, a suburb of Madrid, has never stood on the podium of a Grand Tour that was not the top step, and it will remain that way on Sunday as the race wraps up in front of his hometown friends and family.

It’s perhaps the statistic that best defines Contador’s career — he always fought for victory.

In an era where Grand Tours have become increasingly calculated, as time gaps between the top riders have gotten tighter and riders often ride to defend their position, Contador always backed up his intentions with actions.

A rider known to race on impulse and instinct rather than by what his power meter dictated, Contador’s tactical decisions sometimes puzzled critics, but seemingly always delighted fans. With Contador, win or lose, there was never a question that he’d given his all.

“I’m not interested in second or third place,” the Spaniard often told journalists in the latter part of his career, as his Grand Tour domination had waned. “I’m only interested in victory.”

Throughout his career, “El Pistolero” was always seen as a fighter: He overcame a brain aneurysm early in his career. He overcame a struggle with Lance Armstrong for Astana team leadership at the 2009 Tour de France. He overcame a doping suspension he insisted was unjust. More recently, he overcame a personal conflict with former boss Oleg Tinkov.

Contador’s last Grand Tour win came at the 2015 Giro d’Italia. Since then, crashes, illness, injury, and the effects of aging have taken their toll. In the latter part of his career, he had transformed in the public eye, from dominator to underdog, still fighting, hanging on for one last shot at glory.

During the 2017 season he had finished second on eight occasions, including an agonizing second overall at three stage races in the spring — Paris-Nice, Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, and Vuelta al Pais Vasco.

On Saturday, atop an interminable Spanish climb, in the final opportunity of his career, Contador went out on top.

“I cannot think of a better way to say goodbye, to win on the Angliru on the last climb of my career,” he said. “I gave everything.”

AMAZING. Even if I find out he had 3 bags of blood overnight – that was simply excellent. What a racer.

rocktheboat

And therein lies the problem. Too many people looking the other way if/when the dark side has been employed. Same syndrome with Pantani who was every bit the drugs’ cheat that Armstrong was, heck he snuffed himself out with drugs. Yet he is revered in certain parts. Odd.

I like Contador and I am pleased with what he did on the Angliru but be in no doubt he has an asterisk by his name and not just for the clenbutorol,, he was also implicated in Operación Puerto until the Spanish courts made it go away for him.

Michele

Think you will find the hypocritical hatred that’s levelled at Armstrong [and not Pantani] is more to do with his bullying than anything else.

rocktheboat

Don’t kid yourself with some romantic notion of Pantani being some flawed hero Michele, no difference between Armstrong and Pantani (as well as most of that era). All drugs’ cheats that should have their results expunged.

In the case of Armstrong it’s the drugs and the lies, the titles he cheated his way too, the claims he made and then the subsequent admission. The bullying and the omerta is merely another confirmation of his character. The reason for the widespread antipathy is that his own people, Americans, do not forgive Armstrong and are first in the queue to throw him under the bus. By contrast many Italians still hold Pantani in reverence like some misjudged anti-hero and are in deliberate denial. Just look at his name scrawled all over the roads on the Giro for the evidence of that. As a drug cheat he is a shameful embarrassment so why on earth would you want to eulogise that?

You have the same dynamic with Contador and Valverde in Spain, Jalabert and Virenque in France. Former two are not as heinous as the latter two but they have been to the dark side.

Michele

Brilliant post Rocky.

I’m amazed how you can derive so much about me and about how I view matters from my comments.

It’s a gift. ????

rocktheboat

A bit narcissistic to think I was commenting about you…

Michele

Yeah, not sure why I thought that.

After all, you did start your comment by saying:

“Don’t kid yourself with some romantic notion of Pantani being some flawed hero Michele …”

Very narcissistic of me.

Sorry shippy.

Andrew

Such a polarising rider through his career, but cannot help but feel such that cycling will be be losing one of the personalities in the time of droids

Luke Drummond

I don’t understand all the love toward this guy. Sure, he will have a go and wants to win but for how long did he dope before getting caught? All his victories prior to being caught should be wiped.

Eric Crookston

Fans don’t get up in arms over the clen due to the weird way in which WADA prosecutes it. Sometimes letting it get challenged and overturned, sometimes not prosecuting it at all. The love stems from him being an exciting rifer his entire career that always raced with panache. A quality that after tomorrow will be severely diminished in the peleton.

rocktheboat

I like Contador and I am pleased with what he did on the Angliru but be in no doubt he has an asterisk by his name and not just for the clenbutorol,, he was also implicated in Operación Puerto until the Spanish courts made it disappear.

Michele

Yes, we heard you the first time.

Ashok Captain

Super riding! Zips up jersey before finish.Congratulations to the entire team (TREK included) and AC.

Larry @CycleItalia

“A rider known to race on impulse and instinct rather than by what his power meter dictated,” Such a contrast to the guy (and team) who will be celebrating victory tomorrow. For now one can only wonder about the dodgy stuff they might be up to. The last time we saw an entire team dropping the GC contenders on big climbs it was BigTex and Co …and we all know how that turned out.

You also miss the irony. You acknowledge the performance of one (Contador) who does have a doping sanction yet denigrate one (Froome) who has nothing.

Froome fully deserves his victory, he won two fine stages in fine style and showed courage and tenacity to battle through his bad days.

Michele

Sky is a bit on the nose.

Good news is they are addressing their shortcomings.

I understand the Race Hub Sky introduced at the Vuelta came equipped with a filing cabinet and some USB Drives to back up their doctor’s very important medical data.

Kudos to them.

rocktheboat

The jealousy and envy knows no bounds. Exactly the same attitude as the indifference when Sky turned up with the smart team buses, the Jaguar support vehicles, the marginal gains, attention to detail etc etc. They set objectives to be winners, raised standards, set the bar high and what is the reaction? Moan, whine, bleat and deride winners instead of looking at themselves and their own shortcomings, seeking to learn and improve.

It is the same formula and ethic that has seen Team GB cycling smash it for three Olympics in a row. Hard work, dedication and nurturing of talent. It won’t last forever and the Aussies are smart and determined enough to figure how to break that. Question is will the others (mainly Europeans) do the same or continue as they are to moan that there have to be subversive reasons behind the success rather than accede to the obvious.

Michele

sky fan boy reply eh, boatman.

rocktheboat

Hardly, I don’t do the fanboy thing for anything or anyone but I do react when I see unsubstantiated nonsense written as, sorry to say, you have very much contributed to. Instead of being gracious and recognising achievement, even if it doesn’t align with your own prejudices, you take the low road and denigrate with lazy, fatuous commentary. Worse still you then descend further into throwing out defamatory accusations like cheap confetti. Seriously naff and low budget.

Michele

A bit narcissistic to think I was commenting about you…

(See what I did there). ????

rocktheboat

Er speaky English? You ask if I am a ‘sky fab boy’ and I make a reply on that and nothing more in respect of moi?! Odd. Think you might be a few spokes light on your wheel.

Michele

That’s exactly what I did leakyboat. A few spokes light on my wheel … that’s one way you could describe it.

You obviously don’t realise I was highlighting the absurdity of the post you made to me 10 minutes earlier. Here’s a reminder.

Think you hit the corner flag with that one. Was that a shot or a cross? Darned if I know. Increasingly odd.

Michele

I reckon there’s a lot that you don’t know.

rocktheboat

What a dumb statement of the obvious.

pedr09

Sky are a great team no doubt but they have also been to the dark side.

rocktheboat

When was that? Other than Jonathan Tiernan-Locke being sacked and sanctioned for failing UCI bio passport regulations, prior to joining them, I am not aware of any sanctions. Did I miss something?

Michele

Agree.

What they have achieved is remarkable, their commitment in pursuing their goals is unrivalled.

They are an amazing professional outfit.

However, they’ve made some serious missteps along the way, and DB has rightfully been scrutinised for it.

Unfortunately his answers and attitude both with the media and in he parliamentary inquiries have done himself no favours.

And unfortunately, there are those who who believe you are jealous/envious/bitter etc of SKY, or anti GB, for bringing such matters up.

Larry @CycleItalia

“Miss the irony”? The irony about missing a fun-to-watch, never-say-die racer who has a dodgy past vs a robot-like guy who stares at his stem most of the time on a team with plenty of signs of dodgy stuff? The list is long – but no accusations from me, just disbelief tinged with dislike of this team’s sponsor, their ostentatious displays of wealth, “Can’t beat ’em? Buy ’em!” attitude, phony platitudes, opaque transparency, etc.
I don’t doubt for a moment the riders on this team are nice-enough guys who are there because the pay is good and they know a racing career is short, but one can say the same about everyone involved with BigTex – with the obvious exception of Tex himself along with the team boss. Plenty of us “knew” BigTex and Co. was a house of cards but we really didn’t know until it all fell down.
Sorry, but I can’t shake the same feelings about this latest juggernaut in pro cycling. And since neither you or anyone else can prove they’re NOT cheating, all I can do is wait-and-see.

rocktheboat

Even more pathetic and desperate than your first post. Emotion full and objective lite. My advice to you is carry on watching, weaping and grasping for straws that aren’t there.

You have cycleitalia in your user name. You want to talk about dodgy stuff then you need to look much closer to home both recent and long term history if you want to see what dodgy stuff is all about. Dr. Ferrari ring a bell? Chiapucci, Bugno, Pantani, Simeoni, Casagrande, Massi, Forconi, Frigo, Garzelli, Mondini, Sgambelluri, Simoni, Casagranda, Di Luca, Guidi, Basso, Garbini, Rinaldi, Trentin, Ricco (the most absurd of them all) +10-20 others. Systematic, long term and widespread performance enhancing drug abuse.

This is irony 101…

Larry @CycleItalia

It’s amazing how similar your comments are to what BigTex defenders used to say and write. But more importantly – my apologies to all. I never should reply to any post or snarky reply made by someone without the guts to put their own name to it. In this case I stupidly provided an excuse for this “rocksinhead” fellow to launch a series of rants. This is the kind of stuff that ruins comments sections all over the web. Again, my apologies.

rocktheboat

You seem rather full of your own importance – “my apologies to all” – how self indulgent is that? You make a series of unsubstantiated statements and accusations, then I come along and point out all the holes and contradictions with no little irony so you reply with this rude and insult laden effort whilst trying to maintain some pretence of being on the high ground. Comical and lamentable in equal measure.

Peter Galaxy1

Well Froome is as boring as you could ever wish for. Good for him if that is his style but it aint entertaining watching him nor listening to him. It is a shame to see cycling dominated by the biggest money team. Sends a bad message to kids. Should be a salary cap for starters.

ebbe

If you’re deriding people for posting “fact-lite” posts, maybe you should stop posting posts which consist of mainly insults, and put some facts in your own posts? Just saying

David Beckwith

Have I missed something? Has Alberto been dropping barrel bombs on innocent civilians? Really hard to get my head around the peculiar hatred there is out there for those who cheat at sport. That is not to say I condone it in any form, but some sense of proportion wouldn’t go astray. And just to make it easy for people, I’ll climb atop the huge pile of kindling and tie myself to the stake – bring your own flame thrower.